We use email marketing almost exclusively and think it’s one of our best channels. We’re planning our 2015 marketing program and think we might need to add some new marketing activities. Is it a good idea to do that?

Sincerely,

Forward15

Dear Forward15,

I’m glad you asked! When one of your marketing activities outperforms others, it’s tempting to give all your attention to it. I have to ask, though – is that activity in isolation producing your desired outcomes?

If, for example, you’re seeking to grow sales, is your email newsletter accomplishing that goal? Do your numbers tell you that story? Or do they say something different?

It’s the rare occasion that a single effort or even a single email will produce a desired outcome. Achieving outcomes tends to require a sort of germination period. You nurture your leads and give them the information they need. They eventually make the decision to purchase from you.

To use a word picture, think of your email newsletter as a snowball. You set it on the hill and give it a gentle nudge. It starts to roll. It picks up momentum and snow. When it finally comes to rest at the bottom of the hill, it’s a gargantuan snowball. It bears little resemblance to the thing with which you started. It looks more like something the Abominable Snowman would have built for Rudolf and the Misfit Toys.

That growth is partially due to momentum; because you started the newsletter and kept at it, it gains traction. It speeds up and draws attention from nearby skiers and snowboarders.

The other component is the extra snow, which could be things like tweets, Facebook updates, pins on Pinterest, blog posts, Vine videos, infographics, and Instagram posts. The content grows the email newsletter and attracts new audiences.

I know you said you’re considering new marketing activities in 2015, so let’s work through that. You don’t need to use all the things I listed in the previous paragraph. You just need to use the ones where your email subscribers and potential customers are.

Ask where your audience hangs out when it isn’t on the slopes. What kind of cocoa (content) do they like to consume? If you can find the answers to those questions, you’ll know where to invest time, energy, and money in 2015.

While your email newsletter may still end up being the largest component needed in your customers’ journeys, it isn’t the only one. Marketing activities are cumulative. When they work in concert, they build momentum and grow. They become an unstoppable snowball that draws attention not only from the people on the slopes but also the people sipping their hot cocoa in the lodge.